Biomedical Professionals Surveyed on Expectations of Professional Societies
The Society for Neuroscience, the American Chemical Society and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists were all cited in a recent survey as among the most valuable professional societies to which a scientist or medical professional can belong.
(PRWEB) September 8, 2002
ARLINGTON, VA – September 8, 2002 – The Society for Neuroscience, the American Chemical Society and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists were all cited in a recent survey as among the most valuable professional societies to which a scientist or medical professional can belong.
These findings were recently published in “Scientific & Medical Societies: Exceeding Member Expectations” by BioInformatics, LLC (Arlington, VA), a leading provider of market research to the biotechnology industry. Based on a recent 26-question survey of more than 1,300 life science and medical professionals, this report is designed to provide senior association executives with the answers they need to make decisions regarding their publications, conferences, educational programs, advocacy initiatives and marketing strategy.
The strength of a scientific or medical society comes from having a solid membership base. Simply recruiting new members to replace those that discontinue their affiliations each year will not compensate for the loss of its sustaining members. “Members must believe that the investment of their resources, specifically time, dues and expertise is being well spent in order for them to continually renew their membership. Securing the loyalty of one’s membership is an invaluable asset in attaining a society’s membership goals in terms of long-term retention of these individuals,” says Bill Kelly, President of BioInformatics, LLC.
According to the report, there are a variety of reasons why an individual joins a professional society. Slightly over one-third of survey respondents state that the most important reason for joining is to obtain information on the latest developments in their field. Furthermore, 34% of participants cite the ability to attend meetings and conferences as the most valuable benefit when deciding to renew their membership in a professional society. Interestingly, the two most important features taken into consideration when respondents decide whether or not to attend a societyÂ’s annual conference are the conference topic and the quality of the speakers.
"Ideally one’s involvement in a society is for the duration of one’s career—from the training period to even into emeritus status," reasons Dr. Tamara Zemlo, Director of Scientific & Medical Communications at The Science Advisory Board, a division of BioInformatics, LLC. “Therefore, scientists and health care professionals place great value in their society’s ability to address their changing needs throughout each stage of their professional life.”
Not only is professional development a critical expectation of society members, but the communication of scientific and medical information, concepts and principles is also highly desired. For example, 59% of the survey respondents state that it is very important for a professional society to support scientific and/or medical policy advocacy. In addition, public outreach through educational programs and materials is considered a worthwhile investment of society resources.
Throughout history, scientific and medical communities have created organizations that have allowed their members to meet, communicate and cooperate. These professional societies have been—and will continue to be—instrumental in arranging opportunities for scholarly conversations where ideas can be exchanged and discussed. The most successful societies are those that understand what their members value most and then take steps to exceed member expectations.
“Although it’s not widely acknowledged, professional societies are often in fierce competition with each other for members,” comments Kelly. “By looking at a wide variety of issues, including the most popular benefits, the importance of publications, the types of conferences considered most useful and acceptable fundraising techniques, this report enables society executives to align their member benefits and programs with the expectations of the scientific and medical communities.”
ABOUT BIOINFORMATICS, LLC
BioInformatics, LLC is a market research firm located in Arlington, Virginia. BioInformatics supports marketing, sales and R&D executives in the life science, medical device and pharmaceutical industries through published research reports, custom research and consulting. BioInformatics sponsors the world’s largest market research panel of scientific customers — The Science Advisory Board (http://www. scienceboard. net (http://www. scienceboard. net)) — which consists of more than 12,700 scientists, physicians and other biomedical professionals from 62 countries who participate in surveys that address emerging technologies, test customer reactions to new product concepts, measure brand awareness and assess advertising effectiveness.
FOR A COMPLIMENTARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THIS REPORT, PLEASE VISIT http://www. gene2drug. com/published/index. php? promo=2 (http://www. gene2drug. com/published/index. php? promo=2) OR CONTACT:
Alyssa Martin
BioInformatics, LLC
2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1200
Arlington, VA 22201
703.525.3872 x358 (phone)
703.522.3685 (fax)
A. martin@gene2drug. com
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